Students truly ‘bless’ pets with SNAP gift
St. Joseph’s fifth-grader Ella Knutson and sixth-grader Josie Speltz are self-professed animal lovers.“We love dogs,” Speltz said.“We just love animals,” Knutson agreed.Knutson began volunteering with the Spay and Neuter All Pets (SNAP) of Chickasaw County “a long time ago” — before she was in school — stopped awhile, then restarted.So when the local Catholic school started organizing for the annual Blessing of the Animals, held in conjunction with the mass on feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, Knutson and Speltz decided, why not truly bless the pets by donating to SNAP?“The SNAP donation was their idea. We really try to build leaders and these two are amazing,” St. Joe’s Principal Christine Carlton said.— For more on this story, see the Oct. 9 New Hampton Tribune.